Celebrity Death

A father and son have both been charged with murder in the shooting death of rapper PnB Rock.

L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón made the announcement Thursday, saying Freddie Lee Trone and his 17-year-old son were both charged with one count of murder and conspiracy to commit robbery as well as two counts of second-degree robbery.

Freddie Lee Trone is still on the run from authorities.

Shauntel Trone, the 17-year-old's stepmother was also charged in connection to the murder with one count of accessory after the fact.

TMZ broke the story, PnB was killed inside a Los Angeles Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles restaurant earlier this month as he sat and ate with his girlfriend.

Law enforcement sources tell us Freddie Lee Trone and his son were already in the parking lot when PnB arrived at the restaurant. We're told the 17-year-old is the alleged shooter, and Freddie was the getaway driver. Our sources say they burned the vehicle after the murder.

PnB was only 30.

Coolio died Wednesday in Los Angeles ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper who achieved enormous success in the 90s was visiting a friend late Wednesday afternoon when he passed away.

Coolio's longtime manager, Jarez, says Coolio went to the bathroom at his friend's house, but when he didn't come out after a while ... the friend kept calling for him, and eventually went in and found Coolio laying on the floor.

We're told the friend called EMTs, who arrived and pronounced Coolio dead on the scene -- and Jarez tells us the paramedics suspect he suffered cardiac arrest. An official cause of death has not been determined.

Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., came up on the L.A. rap scene in the late 80s, but blew up nationally in 1995 when he released "Gangsta's Paradise" for the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film, "Dangerous Minds."

The song reached #1 and stayed there for 3 weeks.

While 'Paradise' became his signature hit, Coolio had several others ... including 1994's "Fantastic Voyage" -- which hit #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 -- as well as "1,2,3,4 (Sumpin' New)" and "It's All the Way Live (Now)."

Coolio was 59.

RIP

"Kenan & Kel" star Kel Mitchell is remembering all the good times he had with Coolio ... telling us the late rapper was super fun to hang out with because he was always full of good vibes and good stories.

The former Nickelodeon star joined "TMZ Live" Thursday where we asked him about his experiences with Coolio, who famously teamed up with Kel and Kenan Thompson back in the day for their show's theme song.

Kel says folks still ask him about the song, and he says Coolio brought the "magic" to the catchy track.

TMZ broke the story ... Coolio died Wednesday at a friend's house in Los Angeles.

Law enforcement sources tell us first responders performed CPR for 45 minutes in a frantic effort to revive him.

Kel says Coolio was like everyone's favorite uncle ... because when he showed up at the function, it was a sure sign of a good time.

Coolio performed his last show ever last week in Texas with Vanilla Ice, who says he's mourning his late friend's death.

Vanilla Ice tells TMZ he couldn't sleep Wednesday night after learning Coolio died, and he woke up Thursday morning "still in shock and freaking out."

Coolio and Ice go way back, and they were touring together for the past 6 years on the "I Love The 90s" show, including a stop last week in Cypress, TX which ended up being Coolio's last gig.

Vanilla Ice tells us Coolio came out onstage with him Friday night to freestyle during his set, and after the show, they hung out in Ice's dressing room with Coolio smiling and talking about life and seeming to be in great shape. The last thing Coolio said to Vanilla Ice ... "See you tomorrow, homie."

TMZ broke the story ... Coolio died Wednesday at a friend's house in downtown Los Angeles. Law enforcement sources tell us first responders performed CPR for 45 minutes in an effort to revive the rapper.

Vanilla Ice says he can't stop thinking about how last week's gig was Coolio's last performance ever ... and he's remembering Coolio as a legend whose legacy will live on through his music.

Ice adds ... "My heart goes out to all the family. I'm truly devastated. He was a great friend."

TMZ obtained video of Coolio's last performance, and folks who were there say he performed on stage for 45 minutes and was talking a lot to the crowd. We're told his voice seemed really raspy, but he didn't appear ill.

EMT's frantically tried to revive Coolio after his body was found in a downtown LA. home, but after 45 minutes of CPR he was pronounced dead.

TMZ broke the story ... Coolio was at a friend's home late Wednesday afternoon when he went to the bathroom. We're told he was in there for quite a while, and the friend became concerned and began calling for him. When Coolio didn't respond, the friend went inside the bathroom and found the rapper laying on the floor.

He called EMT's who quickly responded and saw no signs of life. They administered CPR for 3/4 of an hour before concluding it was futile.

Coolio's manager told us the 59-year-old rapper came down from Vegas, where he lives, to L.A. so he could either get or renew his passport.

The manager said there was some problem with getting the passport in L.A. and the 2 had talked on the phone about going down to San Diego to get the job done.

As for why he needed to go to the passport office ... he had shows scheduled in Germany this weekend.

The manager says he was getting ready to join Coolio when he got the call that he had collapsed in the bathroom.

As we reported, police did not find drugs or paraphernalia in the bathroom.

Queen Elizabeth II might have been one of the most complex, dynamic and beloved figures of the 20th century ... but her death certificate is simple, perhaps oddly so.

The official document was filed this week, revealing she passed at 3:10 PM local time on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland -- and the 96-year-old monarch's cause of death is listed as "Old Age."

That's it.

We gotta say, it's the first time we've seen a death certificate with so little information -- typically, there's something more medical listed ... like cardiac arrest or multiple organ failure. Then again, we haven't seen many any of these for British monarchs who sat on the throne for 70 years. The physician who declared her dead was Douglas James Allan Glass.

Interestingly, her only daughter, Princess Anne, is listed as the "informant."

Lack of detail aside, the certificate says Elizabeth Alexandra Mary -- her full given name -- was the widowed daughter of King George VI and Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon ... aka The Queen Mother.

LAPD is naming a suspect in the murder of PnB Rock ... he's still on the loose, and should be considered "armed and dangerous."

Cops announced Wednesday morning, Freddie Lee Trone, is the guy detectives have fingered as "a person involved" in the Sept. 12 slaying of the rapper as he sat in a Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.

They've released this photo of Trone, but haven't yet said if he's the only person they're seeking in the case. You'll recall, police said there was a getaway car waiting outside the L.A. restaurant after PnB was shot and killed.

The killer fled with several gold and diamond chains the Philly MC was wearing as he ate lunch with his girlfriend.

Police are urging the public to contact 911 if you see Trone or have any info on his whereabouts.

Hilaree Nelson -- a world-famous ski mountaineer -- has tragically been found dead after she fell from a mountain following an avalanche in Nepal this week.

She was 49 years old.

According to the New York Times, Nelson and her partner, Jim Morrison, were attempting to ski down Manaslu -- the eighth-highest mountain in the world -- on Monday when she was knocked off course by a massive snowslide and went missing.

Authorities say they immediately launched a search for her -- though bad weather hampered their efforts. Finally, on Wednesday, government officials said they located her body.

Sachindra Yadav, an expedition liaison officer, confirmed Nelson's death to the New York Times.

"Her body has been brought to Kathmandu for autopsy," Yadav said. "It's intact but covered with snow."

Nelson was a legend in the extreme skiing sport, The North Face -- one of her sponsors -- called her "the most prolific ski mountaineer of her generation."

Her bio on her personal website said her "expedition career has led her to many 'firsts' in the world of ski mountaineering including linking two 8000m peaks in one push, first ski descents in Baffin Island, a first American ascent and ski descent of Papsura peak in India and a first ski descent of the 4th highest peak in the world, Lhotse."

The mother of two was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2018.

The late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins was honored in a massive way in Los Angeles -- with stars including Miley Cyrus, Joan Jett, Brian May -- and more taking the stage ... but it was a unique cover from Dave Chappelle that had fans talking.

The concert marathon, which didn't end until 1 AM, went down at the Kia Forum in L.A. Tuesday night -- it was the second show to honor Hawkins, with the first happening in London earlier this month.

Check out the video of Dave, he took the stage with Dave Grohl and the rest of The Foo Fighters for the cover.

However, fans were treated to some other truly special performances. Grohl played 'Bad Reputation' with Joan Jett and Travis Barker, Miley hit the stage with Def Leppard, Motley Crue performed, Pink did 'Barracuda' with Nancy Wilson, Alanis Morissette performed with RHCP drummer Chad Smith ... and then at 11:45, The Foo Fighters took the stage to play some of their hits.

As we reported, Hawkins' son Shane got on the drums during the London show ... he did the same during the L.A. tribute to play "Hero."

Actor Robert Cormier, best known for his portrayal of Finn Cotter in "Heartland," died last week after an apparent fall, this according to his family.

His sister, Stephanie, told the Hollywood Reporter that Robert passed away Friday in an Ontario, CA, hospital from injuries he suffered during the fall. No official cause of death has been released.

An online obit described Robert as an "athlete, an actor, and a great brother" who loved to help others and always wanted to achieve more. It ended with ... "Rob's memory will live on through his passion for art and film."

Growing up in Toronto, Robert would tell his dad to call him "Robbie Van Damme" after his favorite actor, Jean-Claude Van Damme. Robert was a bartender before he got his big break in TV, landing roles in "Heartland," "Ransom," "American Gods" and "Designated Survivor." He also made a splash as Kit Jennings in the popular Netflix series "Slasher."

UPtv — which streams episodes of Heartland — released a statement on IG, calling Robert "an amazing talent, gone too soon," next to a photo of him with costar Amber Mitchell.

The network added ... "We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing. Our sincere condolences go out to his friends, family, and co-workers."

Robert is survived by his parents, Robert and Lisa, and 3 sisters Brittany, Krystal and Stephanie.

He was 33.

Former surfing star Chris Davidson died on Saturday ... after he was allegedly punched in the face in an altercation outside of a bar in Australia.

He was just 45 years old.

Authorities say they responded to a South West Rocks pub at around 11 PM on Saturday after receiving calls about an assault. A man -- reportedly later ID'ed as Davidson -- had allegedly hit his head on the ground following a punch.

According to the officials, when they arrived, they found the man unconscious. They say he was transported to a nearby hospital, but died a short time later.

Police say they've arrested a 42-year-old man in connection with the incident. He has since been charged with assault causing death.

Davidson had initially gained fame in the sport in the 1990s ... and eventually earned a #14 world ranking in 2010.

Surfing legend Kelly Slater mourned his death in a post on his social media page, saying, "Lost another soldier yesterday. #RIPChrisDavo."

"Had many a good battle with this guy," Slater added. "One of the most naturally talented surfers I ever knew."

Surfing Australia called Davidson "an incredibly talented surfer and a true individual in our sport and community."

"Our thoughts go out to his two children, friends and family at this time," the org. added.

Oscar-winning actress Louise Fletcher, who played the iconic villain Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," died from natural causes Friday in France, this according to her family.

Her son, Andrew Bick, tells TMZ ... Louise passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Montdurausee -- a commune in Southern France -- after she had overcome breast cancer several years ago.

Louise snagged the 1976 Best Actress Academy Award for her bone-chilling performance as Nurse Ratched in 'Cuckoo’s Nest.' The film, which swept all 5 Oscars in each of the major categories, centered around the tense relationship between Ratched and Randall McMurphy, a psych ward patient played by Jack Nicholson.

McMurphy was an anti-authority-free spirit who was a threat to Ratched's strict rules to keep the other patients in line. In the end, McMurphy won over the hearts and minds of the patients ... only to have a vengeful Ratched order him to be turned into a lobotomized vegetable.

The Nurse Ratched character was hand-picked as the fifth-greatest villain in movie history by the American Film Institute -- and she was runner-up to the Wicked Witch of the West as the greatest villainess.

After the success of 'Cuckoo's Nest,' Fletcher landed roles in other popular films and TV shows, such as "ER," "Picket Fences," "A Perfect Man," "Shameless" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." She was nominated for an Emmy for "Fences."

Louise was 88.

Bob Saget's famous friends are picking up where he left off, raising seven figures for a cause near and dear to his heart ... scleroderma research.

John Mayer, Jimmy Kimmel and Jeff Ross took over hosting duties for their late friend Wednesday at an annual fundraiser for the Scleroderma Research Foundation, with the event raising $1.2 million for crucial research.

Bob hosted SRF's signature event, "Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine," for 30 years before his death ... and this year's fundraiser featured a special video tribute to Bob, presented by John Stamos and Mike Binder.

Dave Chappelle showed up to the Beverly Wilshire for a surprise performance, even sharing a personal video message he got from Bob before he passed. Bill Burr joined Dave on stage for a couple jokes too.

And, Lori Loughlin was also in attendance at the event.

Other celeb performers included comedy sets from Howie Mandel and Kevin Nealon, plus a musical number from Mayer. Joel McHale led the live auction.

Attendees plunked down $500 just to get inside the building ... and they chowed down on a sit-down dinner curated by celeb chef Susan Feniger.

Queen Elizabeth's funeral doesn't hold a candle to Princess Diana's when it comes to TV ratings -- in the U.S. and the UK -- but the reality is it's kinda hard to compare the events.

Indeed ... the TV ratings for QE2's burial ceremony Monday are in, and they pale in comparison to how many folks watched Diana's service in 1997 ... drastically so when it comes to us Yankees.

The Nielsen numbers are striking ... an average of 11.4 million viewers watched the Queen's state funeral -- this next to the 33.2 million people who watched Diana's funeral more than 2 decades ago in the States.

It was a little closer among the British -- about 27 million British people watched the monarch's final send-off, slightly less than the 32 million who tuned in for Di.

The one thing that's not accounted for here with the Queen's figures is that her procession was being live streamed across various digital platforms, and those numbers don't count in the Nielsen ratings. So, it's quite possible she did have a bigger raw number of worldwide viewers.

It's also unfair to compare just about ANY TV program today to one from 25 years ago ... the advent of streaming services has dramatically lowered TV ratings for even the biggest shows. And, ya can't ignore the facts surrounding both women's deaths -- Diana died in the prime of her life in a tragic car accident, as compared to the Queen ... who, while being widely beloved, was also 96 years old.

PnB Rock's murder investigation is taking a deep dive into his past -- because, apparently, cops are under the impression this might've been more than just a random robbery ... on the contrary, it may have been a planned execution by a foe.

LAPD sources tell us the case is moving in several concurrent directions -- and one involves detectives digging into the late rapper's personal life ... especially when it comes to who he rubbed elbows with -- or possibly butted heads with -- resulting in would-be beefs.

We're told investigators are especially interested in his ties to Atlanta -- where he apparently spent quite a bit of time -- as well as his home city of Philly ... and they're asking any and everybody if PnB had known enemies who might've had it out for him.

PnB's lyrics are also under a microscope at the moment, with cops wanting to see if he referenced any feuds he might've had with any of his peers and/or other individuals.

This is an interesting development. Cops initially thought it was a fatal robbery -- in which random thieves came across PnB and/or his girlfriend's social media, saw what they were up to, and went on the attack. But why then didn't they just snatch his chains and leave, rather than shooting him multiple times and killing him?

Cops now believe this could've been a more elaborate scheme by someone with a vendetta.

No matter how you cut it ... the fact that this L.A. investigation is now crossing state lines is pretty stunning -- and they certainly wouldn't do that without at least a good hunch.

Now, as for where things stand in terms of ID'ing the suspects and/or the getaway car ... our sources say cops are still trying to track down the vehicle through video feeds. We're told they're getting lots of tips, but it's taking time to sift through them to see which are legit.

Roddy Ricch is calling his hometown a danger zone in the wake of PnB Rock’s slaying inside a beloved L.A. restaurant.

The Compton-bred rapper admitted his PSA was a bit out of the ordinary for him, but felt the need to speak out as things continued to spiral.

He posted ... "LA ! Usually I try to mind my business and let the world rotate but we gotta do better ... It’s too much senseless violence. Too much opportunity and motivation to take things other people work hard for. It’s too much life to live to take someone else’s away."

In addition to PnB Rock's murder last week, Los Angeles has seen an upswing in violent crimes ... including armed robberies and burglaries, and Roddy's calling it out.

He added, "I love my city but we can’t keep going out like this. Before you know it, it’ll be nobody left to take from or kill. Let’s stay on point stay aware and find better ways to pursue our dreams because this shit turning into ALL NIGHTMARES."

Roddy and PnB were friends and former labelmates at Atlantic Records where they collaborated on PnB’s 2019 album "TrapStar Turnt PopStar."

LAPD's investigating potential motives in the case … including the possibility PnB’s murder was preplanned and detectives are examining his lyrics for clues to any potential beefs.